Young Vikings Defender Bursts onto the Scene
The Minnesota Vikings showcased a handful of standout performers in a preseason win over the Houston Texans on Saturday, including unsung running back Zavier Scott, quarterback Max Brosmer, and safety Kahlef Hailassie.
A young Vikings defender has made a statement in the preseason, providing a performance that turned heads and hinted at a promising future in 2025 and beyond.
Those men balled out, but another ferocious outside linebacker turned heads as well: Gabriel Murphy.
A Young Vikings EDGE Made the Most of the Spotlight
Minnesota won its first preseason game on Saturday, and Gabriel Murphy stood off the page.
OLB Gabriel Murphy Puts His Thumbprint on Preseason
Murphy pestered various Texans backup quarterbacks last weekend, making a dent in Houston’s offense and a strong case for Minnesota’s 53-man roster.
He sacked the quarterback twice, though the stat sheet credited him with 1.5 sacks, giving 0.5 of the stat to teammate Bo Richter. All told, Murphy banked 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and an ungodly 5 quarterback hits.
Here’s the footage:
A Depth Chart Climb, Too
Murphy’s breakout performance, albeit in the preseason, occurred at the perfect time.
Before the showdown with Houston, Minnesota released an unofficial-but-official depth chart last week, and much to the surprise of hardcore fans, Murphy found his name at OLB4. Prior to the document’s release, Murphy could’ve been interpreted as low as OLB6, fighting for defensive snaps in 2025 with the aforementioned Richter and rookie Tyler Batty.
Here’s the Vikings’ OLB room after the fresh depth chart release:
- Jonathan Greenard
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Dallas Turner
- Gabriel Murphy
- Bo Richter
- Tyler Batty
Murphy’s Rookie Season with Vikings
Minnesota unearthed Murphy from undrafted free agency in 2024, and because general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had successfully found inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. from the same place in 2023, fans formulated big plans for Murphy.
But Murphy didn’t factor much into the 2024 defense, sidelined by an injury and ultimately only seeing action in two games — 35 defensive snaps.
Fast forward to this offseason, and onlookers didn’t know what to make of Murphy, as UDFAs often disappear in NFL roster-speak. So far in 2025, Murphy is effectuating the opposite. The man will make the 53-man roster and will serve as the OLB4 after Minnesota’s big-name trio of Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Turner.
The College Scouting Report
NFL Draft Buzz described Murphy leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, “Murphy offers a promising blend of athleticism and versatility with a clear need for technical development. As NFL teams assess his fit, they’ll weigh his explosive playmaking ability against the need for polished technique and strength against the run.
“If placed in the right system and given the opportunity to refine his skills, Murphy could evolve into a solid NFL starter.”
That right opportunity has a name, two words: Brian Flores.
From Murphy and His Head Coach
Murphy said about his preseason performance: “I just want to give all the glory to God. It was just a blessing watching all the guys go to work today, me being able go to out there … I was just thankful. It was a dream come true, honestly. Something I dreamed about my whole life. In Madden, I used to use U.S. Bank Stadium on the game.”
“Just being able to make a play, my first sack ever in the NFL, being in U.S. Bank, Minnesota’s stadium, it was a surreal moment for me. It was so fun chasing him down. I was on the backside of the play and ended up running all the way to the other sideline.”
His head coach, Kevin O’Connell, weighed in, too: “I think he had five QB hits or whatever it was, and Gabe’s been a guy that has shown up daily at camp, highlighted in front of the team. It feels like Gabe is a man on a mission right now, in a lot of ways. And I’m just proud of him, proud of where he’s at in camp right now, and now he’s just got to set his sights on continuing to compete.”
“I mentioned it to you guys how competitive that outside linebacker room is. And it’s because we’re so good at the top with really three starters and Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, and then we feel really, really good about Bo Richter, Gabe, and obviously the two young guys.”
The man is climbing the depth chart, rest assured.
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